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Industry Non-food plant resources: –Forestry: Profit from invasive species alone $1.14 billion US in New Zealand. –Horticulture and Floriculture: Combined profit from both industries in the United States = $11.2 billion US/year (Evans 1992; Ewel et al. 1999; Dufour 2001; Reichard and White 2001; New Zealand Timber Industry Federation 2005; Howell 2008) Plants with the most desirable traits for their respective industries are the most valuable, regardless of invasive status

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Conclusion Exotic invasive plant species have achieved an undeserved reputation. Benefits from exotics are greatest when native plants do not suffice for the desired use or need. The costs or benefits of a novel species is different for each situation. –Echium plantagineum : Salvation Jane and Patterson’s Curse Each new introduction should be treated in an unbiased way, so that society and the environment can reap the greatest benefits